Fire Risk Assessments – A Business Opportunity

It has recently been reported that many businesses have purchased off-the-shelf fire risk assessments in the belief that these ready-made documents would satisfy their legal obligations.  However, when the Fire and Rescue Service inspect these premises, the businesses get a nasty surprise when they discover they are not complying with the requirements of the FSO (2005).

This misunderstanding could provide you with the ideal opportunity to contact your customers, offering them a service to ensure that they have met their obligations, which will hopefully lead to extra business for yourselves.

Many business owners were not aware of the following:

A fire risk assessment will only satisfy their legal duties if it:

·         is site specific

·         portrays an accurate and honest account of the fire safety arrangements in place at their premises

·         has been reviewed regularly (annually)

A fire risk assessment must evaluate:

·         potential sources of ignition, oxygen and fuel

·         precautions taken to prevent or restrict the spread of fire – fire doors, sprinkler systems

·         fire escape routes – are they clearly identified and kept clear from obstruction

·         that staff and visitors are provided with sufficient information relating to fire procedures

If you require any assistance in this area, Haes Systems has an FIA trained fire risk assessor who can work with you to offer a comprehensive and fully compliant fire risk assessment for your customers.

For more information, please contact Steve Butterfield on 01895 422066